Method of fuel agitation



H. F. SMITH. METHOD OF FUEL AGITATI ON'.

APPLICATION FILED MIG-1.1918.

1,417,637, Patented May 30, 1922 'fizzfgzzfar' wn g 2: 5 n, 42 55MB!/d., U oj-, I W- s 4472271 175575 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY rfsium n, or DAYTON, OHIO, AssmnoR, BY THE ans RESEARCH COMPANY,or DAYTON, OHIO,

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OF FUEL AGITATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30,1922.

Application filed August 1, 1918. Serial No. 247,877.

10 and more particularly to a method of fuelagitation in which theentire fuel bed is lift ed bodil from the grate upon which it rests andis. t oroughly stirred up, the use of the various complicated stoking oragitating mechanisms now on the market being dispensed with.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a very simple methodof fuel agitation and an equally simple form of apparatus for carryingthat method into effect.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description ofthe invention set-out below, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing.

One of the biggest difficulties in gas producer operation is the propermaintenance of the fuelbed. This difficulty is of course present togreater or less degree in all forms of apparatus using a fuel bed whichmust be continuously replenished and from which the ashes must beremoved. Heretofo're numerous mechanical devices. such as shak- .inggrates, mechanically. operated stirring bars and the like, have beenused for this purpose. These devices, although comparativelycomplicated, have been successful in ordinary fire box or furnaceoperation.

I They have not, however, so far as known to me, been successful in gasproducer opera- .40 tion. It must be remembered that in a gas producerthe fuel bed ordinarily has a thick- ,ness of from three to six feet andit is quite obvious that the ordinary mechanical agitating devices areentirely inadequate for securing aproper conditioning of such .a

thickness of incandescent, carbonaceous material. 1

It was primarily to provide for the satisfactory agitation of the fuelbed in a gas producer that I devised the method of agitation and theapparatus for carrying that method into effect which constituted thesubject matter of the present invention. For purpose of convenience andgreater clearness this invention will be described in connection with aconventional type of producer; but it is to be expressly understood thatmy invention is not thus limited in its applicability.

This method of fuel agitation consists broadly of collecting anexplosive mixture, ignitingthat mixture and applying the resultingexplosive effect beneath the fuel bed. In this manner the fuel bed'islifted bodily from the grates upon which it rests and is thoroughlyagitated during its upward movement and as it settles back upon thegrates after being lifted therefrom. For carrying this method intoeffect I made use of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying'drawing. I

In the drawing is disclosed a gas producer having a metallic shell 1surrounding the generating chamber, a firebrick lining 2 therefor, agrate 3 for supporting the fuel, a fuel feeding device 1, an alr intakepipe 5, and a gas off take plpe 6'; This structure is that of theconventional up-draft, or suction, type of producer.

Located adjacent the bottom part of the producer is an explosion chamber10 having an outlet 11.which in turn opens into the space 7 at the lowerpart of the producer 1, below the grate 3. If an explosive mixture iscollected within the chamber 10 and ignited the explosive effect willact through the outlet 11 and space 7 upon any fuel that may be restingon the grate Leading into the upper end of the chamber 10 is an inletpassage 12 the upper end of which is divided into a plurality ofpassages 13 and 14. The passage 14 has leading there-- into a pipe 15which is connected with a source of explosive mixture. the mixture beingfed through the pipe 15 under any desired pressure.

Connecting the passages 13 and 14 is a port 16 controlled bythe valve17. The

valve 17 is normally held against its seat by means of the spring 19which surrounds the valve stem 18. Ac-ljustably attached to the outerend of the valve stem and cooperating with the spring 19, to vary thetension there of, isa nut 20. By means ofthis adjustable nut 20 thetension of the spring 19 maybe varied as desired. I

Pivoted to the wall of the inlet passage-12 is a yoke 30 adapted tocontact with theend of the valve stem 18. Rotatably mounted on theexplosion chamber, adjacent the yoke 30,

' is'a cam. 31 adapted to cooperate with the yoke 30 and upon rotationthereof to swing said yoke about its pivot and force it into contactwith the end of the valvestem to thus lift the valve 17 from its seatand open the port connecting'passages' l3 and 14. When the valve is inthis position an explosive mix-- i ture may pass through the'pipe 15 andpas sage. 14: into the passage 13 and thence through the inlet passage12 to the explosion chamber 10. i

Inserted'through the wall of passage 13 is a spark plug 40 the innerterminals of .which are situated within the passage. Connected to thespark plug 40 is a coil 41 having a switch 42 connected therewith.Proper manipulation of the switch 4:2 will cause the ignite theexplosive mixture within-such pas-.7

passage of a spark within the passage 13 to sage and then ignite theexplosive mixture within the chamber 10.

' lVhen it is desired to agitate or stir up the fuel'u-pon the grate 7,the cam 31 is rotated .to

swing the yoke about its pivot and thus lift the valve17 from its seatpermittingthe flow'of, explosive mixture into the chamber 10. lVhen thedesired quantity'of explosive movement under the effect of the explosionand during its return to the grate. The term fuel bed has been usedherein to designate the entire mass of fuel and ashes resting upon thegrate 3. In actual practice this fuel bed generally consists of a loweror ash zone restmg upon the grate, an intermediate or meandescent-zoneabove the ash zone and an upper ordistillation zone, above theincandescent zone, consisting of the fresh fuel which is added from thefuel feeding device 4. The

I explosive effect resulting from igniting the explosive mixture in thechamber 10 will be exerted upon the ash zone of the" fuel bed,

from beneath the grate, and is of such nature that it will suddenlyraise the entire fuel bed and, after short duration, will as suddenlyallow the fuel bed vto settle back upon the rate. As a result the fuelbed will be thoroughly broken up, but the explosive efiect of suchshortl duration that the ashes within the ash zone will not be blownthrough the fuel bed and out through the oiftake pipe 6. Y

It has been suggested heretofore to use blasts of compressed air orsteam foragitat} ing'a fuel bed, I have found, however, that thesemethods are less effective thanv the method disclosed byme. In order to;secure a proper breaking of masses ofcoked material and such like, andto thoroughly agitate and stir. up the fuel bed I have found theinstantaneous blow resulting from an explov sion superior to the, sloweracting blast of compressed airor steam. While the method hereindescribed, and

the form of apparatus for carrying that method into effect, constitutepreferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that theinvention is'not limited to this 7 5 precise method and form ofapparatus, and] V that changes may be made in either without departingfrom the scope of the invention which is defined in the appendedclaims.

1. The method of-agitating the fuelbed within a gas producer or thelike, which consists in igniting an explosivemixt L6, and applying theresulting explosiveforce to the underside of the ash zone of thef'uelbed, to lift the fuel bed bodily.

2. The methodof agitating fuel which consists in collecting anexplosivemixture,ignit ing that mixture and applying the force of theexplosionto. the under side of the ash zoneof the'fuel bed, theexplosive effect being suflicient toraise the entire fuel bed bodily,but of suoh duration as to not drive ashes-from the ash zone through thefuel bed. 3. The method of agitating fuel which consists in collectinganexplosive mixture in-a chamber, igniting the mixture, and applying theforce of the explosion to the under side of, the fuel bed.

4. The method of agitating the fuel bed within a gas producer or thelike, WlllClFCOII- sists in collecting an explosive mixture in a chamberseparate from, but having an outlet opening into, the producer or thelike; igniting the collected mixture within the chain- 'ber; andapplying the force of the resulting explosion to the under side of thefuel bed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY WVitnesses: I

THOMAS CURE'roN, h J. W. MoDoNALD.

